


Heart

by skyeward



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Angst, F/F, Renegade Commander Shepard, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-26
Updated: 2013-05-26
Packaged: 2017-12-13 01:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/818173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyeward/pseuds/skyeward
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because there's nothing else in there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart

Shepard hadn’t thought – wasn’t thinking – and didn’t start, not until she saw the look on Jack’s face. She’d been too focused on taking advantage of what little time they had, of venting six months’ worth of frustration and need. It wasn’t as if she’d been thinking about it anyway; she was too busy smashing their mouths and bodies together, too busy pushing her hands under intrusive clothing and wresting curses and moans from the painted mouth.

It wasn’t until they were seated on her bed, her back jammed uncomfortably against the headboard and Jack straddling her lap, tattooed hands tugging impatiently at the hem of her shirt, that she remembered. And by then, of course, it was too late.

Jack stilled above her, barely even breathing as she took in the bold, black, alien shape etched permanently above Shepard’s heart.

“There’s,” she breathed slowly, and Shepard could almost  _see_  the rage gathering around her like thunderclouds. “A god damned  _Reaper_  on your  _heart_.” The last few words came out as a furious hiss, and Jack began to glow blue all over.  Shepard sat still, eyes closed and waiting to see what came of it.

“Yes,” she responded shortly, quietly.

“Why?” Jack’s voice was soft as well, but even as brusque and detached as she often was, Shepard could hear the hurt in her voice. Jack cared for her. She hadn’t meant for that to happen, hadn’t intended for them to go any further than that one wild, violent encounter on the subdeck. But one damn thing had led to another, as they will, and it had become the most effective stress-relief she could have envisioned. And then the Collectors, and then ‘detainment’ for something she still wasn’t sorry for, and then Grissom. Jack had just been so powerful and alive and  _beautiful_  that Shepard had stumbled back into her arms without thought. A mistake.

“Because,” she replied slowly, telling only the bare truth as she knew it, “There’s nothing else in there.”

There was another moment of silence, then Jack was gone. She paused just inside the doorway.

“That’s a shame,” she said without looking back at Shepard, “Because I’m a much better lay.”


End file.
